Musical tune playback apparatus

• US 7,295,983 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2003
• Issued: 11/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Fujiwara, Yuji, Uehara, Haruki, Oba, Yasuhiko, Shiiya, Yoshihiro, Kawai, Shigeki
• Primary Examiner(s): Azad; Abul K.
• Application Number:
  US10/447,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20030225582A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,630 Days
• Field of Search: 704/270
• US Class Current: 704/270
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/48 specially adapted for particular use

Abstract

A musical tune playback apparatus is basically constituted by a controller (CPU), a digital media drive (e.g., a CD drive), a hard disk drive, and a sound system. Musical tune data recorded on a digital storage media (e.g., CD) are played back and are transferred to the hard disk drive together with relative information and/or image data. When a user inputs retrieval conditions, the controller retrieves musical tune data related to relative information (or image), which substantially matches retrieval conditions. Specifically, a relative information retrieval database is stored in a data area of the hard disk drive, wherein an auto-input area automatically describes an index ID, TOC information, and history information while a manual-input area describes other data and information with regard to each musical tune that is played back. Thus, desired musical tune data are automatically retrieved from the hard disk drive with reference to the database.

Claims

1. A musical tune playback apparatus comprising:

a musical tune player for playing back at least one musical tune stored in a digital storage medium;

a storage for storing musical tune data corresponding to the musical tune that is played back together with relative information;

a musical tune data retriever for retrieving desired musical tune data related to the relative information, which substantially matches at least one retrieval condition; and

a musical tune data reproducer for reproducing the retrieved musical tune data,

wherein the musical tune data retriever retrieves desired musical tune data related to the relative information, which substantially matches a user'"'"'s emotional condition that is detected as the retrieval condition based on user'"'"'s body temperature and pulse.

2. A musical tune playback apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the musical tune data are transmitted from a musical tune data distribution apparatus via a communication line.

3. A musical tune playback apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the relative information regarding the musical tune data is transmitted from a musical tune data distribution apparatus via a communication line.

4. A musical tune playback apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the musical tune data retriever retrieves desired musical tune data related to the relative information, which substantially matches a character string that is input as the retrieval condition.

5. A musical tune playback apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the musical tune data retriever retrieves desired musical tune data related to the relative information, which substantially matches a user'"'"'s emotional condition that is used as the retrieval condition.

6. A musical tune playback apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the musical tune data retriever retrieves desired musical tune data related to the relative information, which substantially matches a time period or a season in which a user'"'"'s name is input.

7. A musical tune playback apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the musical tune data retriever retrieves desired musical tune data related to the relative information, which substantially matches image data that are input as the retrieval condition.

8. A musical tune playback apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the musical tune data retriever retrieves desired musical tune data related to the relative information, which substantially matches image data that are selected from among a plurality of preset image data as the retrieval condition.

9. A musical tune playback apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a display for displaying an image suiting the retrieved musical tune data.

10. A musical tune playback apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the musical tune data retriever retrieves desired musical tune data related to the relative information, which substantially matches words information representing words of a song, which is recognized based on a user'"'"'s utterance.